When Dr. John Gilligan became vice chancellor for research and graduate
studies, he knew he had his work cut out for him. The growing recession
was making the states budget crisis worse, and NC State research
gains seemed at risk. RESULTS asked Gilligan to comment after six months
in the vice chancellorship.

R: Dr. Gilligan, are you having any fun yet?Gilligan: Absolutely. These past six months, Ive discovered
so many exciting things happening on campus. Major boosts in faculty and
facilities strength over the past several years in computer networking,
genomics, bioinformatics, advanced materials, and environmental technologies
have positioned us well for the next big thingswireless communications,
proteomics, nanotechnology, and biomedical engineeringnot to mention
new technologies for homeland security. You can see the impact in every
area, from agriculture and computer technology, to human health and space
flight.

R: Any surprises so far?Gilligan: Not too many. After 20 years on the faculty at NC State
and six years as associate dean for research in the College of Engineering,
I know its always been a tough world out there for universities
where money is concerned. This year is particularly tough, but Im
gratified that the state cuts were not as bad as we feared. So far, weve
been able to cooperate with the State so the cuts dont throw us
into a downward spiral. Investment in new ideas has a multiplier effect
on the future of not only the higher education system, but also economic
development. Fortunately, our legislators understood that.

R: How did the legislatures actions help?Gilligan: For this year, at least, weve been allowed to keep
the facilities and administrative [F&A] portion of our grant funds
so we can leverage other support for new research programs and reinvest
in new facilities and equipment. Likewise, support for enrollment increases
and graduate research assistant tuition were left intact. Were not
out of the woods yet, but these three things are the real seed corn for
the academic research enterprise. Support for research enhances our educational
programs for the future, and in fact, at the graduate level, research
is education. If we grind the seed corn, what will we harvest in the years
to come?

R: What are your major goals as vice chancellor?Gilligan: First, I want to dramatically increase federal research
funding to enable us to attack more complex problems and to support more
graduate students. And second, I want to make it as easy as possible for
faculty and students to do basic discovery without undue administrative
burden.

R: How will you go about increasing federal funding?Gilligan: We already see gradual increases each year. But in order
to have a dramatic increase, we need to go after more of the big opportunities
in our areas of strength. Nanotechnology is a good example. There are hundreds
of millions of federal dollars available, and were so good in chemistry,
physics, biomaterials, chemical engineering, textiles, and electronic materials,
that nanotechnology is a natural for us. We need to initiate working groups
in each our major multidisciplinary thrust areas to further increase interactions
among faculty and develop ideas for new research centers that showcase our
strengths in bigger ways.

R: How can you facilitate the discovery process?Gilligan: A big potential hassle for our laboratory researchers is
the increasingly restrictive federal regulatory climate we are facing as
part of the fallout from the War on Terrorism. Congress is attaching more
strings to funding, requiring more extensive reporting on whos using
what in our labs, and restricting opportunities for graduate students who
are not U.S. citizens. Our staff is taking a systems approach to reducing
the regulatory compliance load on our researchers, including interpreting
the regulations and communicating with faculty, developing software solutions
and centralized reporting support, and making sure our international students
are treated fairly. Thats just one example.

R: You've been a big supporter of graduate education. Why is supporting
more graduate students so important?
Gilligan: A research university has a special mission to train the brightest
people we have for leadership positions, whether its in technology,
industry, politics, education, or any other field. Our graduate students
are not only laboratory assistants. They are also innovators, collaborators,
and teachers while they are here. Our success is measured in the number
and quality of graduate students who fulfill their goals and advance their
fields. This is the way our country builds and sustains its intellectual
strength.